People’s Involvement Is Valued

— Observation of Foreign Communist Parties’ Leaders on China’s Political System

The annual sessions of China’s top legislative and advisory bodies have once more become the focus of the media domestically and abroad, with lots of major issues discussed and debated. Meanwhile, with their convening, China’s political system has come in the spotlight again. The international community is getting increasingly interested in how the system runs to ensure the country’s progress in all sectors. At the sidelines of the 27th Wanshou Forum jointly organized by the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Renmin University of China on February 28, China Today spoke to multiple communist parties’ leaders from European and Latin American countries, who shared their perception and understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.

“Effective Political System Propping up China’s Incredible Achievement”
Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain

China’s political system is a product of China’s own history and development. Given the enormous advances in China over recent decades, I would have to approach this topic in a spirit of modesty.
You may have noticed Britain is in a state of acute political crisis at the moment as the result of Brexit. It shows the failure of Britain’s political system on Britain’s political institutions. Members of parliament do not reflect public opinion; 80 percent of our MPs are in favor of European Union membership, and yet more than half the people voted against it. It just shows how this political system does not reflect the vote, and the interests of the majority of ordinary people. I hope you are doing much better in China than that.
In China, we see the dynamism, optimism, the idealism, to talk about a shared future for humanity and how we can build a better world. It’s only China that is perhaps qualified to hold an event of this kind because among the great powers, it appears only to be China that is thinking about this world as a world that we all share, and the world in which humanity can build a common future. One doesn’t hear this kind of talk from the political or business leaders of the Western countries. And their interests are much narrower, not the broad interests of humanity.
We share this planet and whether we like it or not, we are all in this together. This is our planet. There’s no doubt that whether it’s the great ecological questions or economic questions, questions of war and peace, questions of hunger and famine, we have to deal with them together. We live in an interdependent world. And we already have the resources and the technology to combat all of these different challenges. And yet we are failing to do so in so many parts of the world. That failure is ultimately a failure of capitalism. Capitalism does not place the highest priority on mobilizing the world’s resources and mobilizing our technology to solve the most basic problems of humanity, of the majority of ordinary people.

“Ensure the Rights of All Citizens to Decide for Themselves on All Matters”
Juha-Pekka Vaisanen, Chairman of the Communist Party of Finland

I know you are having a very intense political spring with many important topics touched upon. I notice the whole society of China is really participating. The system is very interesting for me. From what I’ve seen in China, I think the country is going along a right direction. I really want to take what I’ve learned here back home.
China’s experience of 70 years of socialism with Chinese characteristics indicates that it’s very important to ensure the rights of all citizens to decide for themselves on all matters globally, nationally, and locally.
Marxism combined with Chinese reality and its ancient wisdom has imbued the socialism in China with great vitality, making socialism and future changes attractive to everybody. The Communist Party of China as a ruling party for 70 years has lots of experience to share. In particular the proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind is very inspiring for the whole world. And sharing in this concept means that the CPC has been inviting not only communist parties but other political parties from around the world in the dialogue. So, we are not only learning, we are also participating. We are part of it.

“An Effective Model for People’s Participation”
Walter Sorrentino, Secretary of International Relations of the Communist Party of Brazil

China has a unique political system, different from most countries in the world. Surely, it’s closely associated with its history and culture. I think the CPC has created a very good governance model as a ruling party. I’ve visited China many times and I’m quite familiar with the annual two sessions. I think the system for Chinese people to participate in the administration and discussion of state affairs is very effective, fully showing the progressiveness of the system.
I also visited various places in China and learned how the people’s congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference run locally. People have been widely involved in the process, which is very efficient and democratic, far beyond our expectation. I think the political rights enjoyed by Chinese people are much more than those in many other countries. We should learn from China.
The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind is bringing the international community renewed hope. For leftists and communist parties in particular, it can act as guidance. The world is facing a grim crisis, and demands new concepts for guidance. I believe the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has the potential to become an important beacon for our Party’s development.